flashman



March 10, 1964 M. L. FLASHMAN LAMPSHADE TREE FOR PACKAGING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 20, 1963 INVENTOR.

/70m'5 L. Has/Imam United States Patent 3,124,249 LAMPSHADE TREE FOR PACKAGING Morris L. Flashman, 6815 Loretto Ave., Philadelphia 11, Pa. Filed June 20, 1963, Ser. No. 289,184 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates to a package of lamp shades and more particularly concerns a rack or tree for supporting lamp shades in packaged, stacked formation for storage and transportation.

Heretofore it has been conventional to ship and store conical lamp shades in cartons with the lamp shades piled in a nested array. The shades were wrapped in cellophane. The contact of the shades with each other frequently results in warping and tearing of the shades and their wrappers as the cartons are moved about and while shades are being taken off or put on the pile. If a plurality of piles of shades are placed in a single carton the loose piles rub against each other resulting in damage to the shades and their wrappers.

The present invention is directed at overcoming the above mentioned and other difficulties and disadvantages and has as a principal object provision of a rack or tree which supports a pile of lamp shades in a stable, spaced, nested array inside or outside of a carton.

A further object is to provide a rack or tree for lamp shades which will hold a pile of lamp shades secured between top and bottom ends of a carton to prevent movement of the pile in the carton.

Another object is to provide a support for a pile of nested lamp shades, which support can serve as a display rack for the shades.

Still another object is to provide a rack for a pile or stack of lamp shades having frames provided with spider arms, the rack including a rod having a multiplicity of axially spaced holes and shade support wires engaged in the holes.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tree or rack of FIG. 1, parts being broken away.

FIG. 3 is a perspective View on a reduced scale of an open carton containing two lamp shade packages according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the carton and packages of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 but with the carton fully closed, parts being shown in elevation.

1FIG. 6 is an enlarged top plan view of an anchoring p ate.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6 showing the plate in supported condition.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of another carton in open condition containing a single package.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a fragment of a rack and a modified form of looped wire member.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in FIG. 3, two packages of lamp shades each embodying the invention and each indicated generally at 10 are shown boxed in a carton 12, the closure flaps 14 of the carton being shown in open position. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each package 10 comprises a rack 16 and a plurality of lamp shade package 3,124,249 Patented Mar. 10., 1964 2. lamp shades 18 supported thereon in removable nested condition.

With particular reference to FIG. 2, the rack 16 includes an elongated round wooden rod or post 20 formed with a series of spaced transverse holes 22. An anchoring plate member 24 is fixed to each end of the rod. The anchoring plate member is formed from a rectangular plate like body 26 turned upon itself midway its ends to form spaced inner and outer arms 28 and 30 as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2. The inner arm 28 is formed with a central hole 32 to permit the end of the rod to pass therethrough and seat itself upon the inner surface of the outer arm 30. The periphery of each hole 32 is slitted forming teeth 34 for biting into the rod. The long edges of arm 39 are notched forming teeth 36 therealong, the teeth projecting angularly of the plane of the arm. A plurality of looped wire members 38 are mounted in pairs of adjacent holes 22 in the rod. Each looped wire member includes an elongated body bent upon itself intermediate its ends forming a long arm 42 44 of plastic or other suitable material, the wider pe-' riphery of the body being stiffened with a rigid ring 46 and the narrower periphery being stiffened with a rigid ring 48. The ring 48 supports a spider structure consisting of a plurality of wires 52 extending radially in spaced relation from a small ring 54. The outer ends of the radial wires 52 are welded or otherwise fastened to the inner surface of ring 43. The shades are supported on the looped wire members 38.

In assembling the package, the ring 54 of the lamp shade spider is slipped over the top of the rod or post 20 and a looped wire member 38 is slipped through its respective holes 22 in the rod 12 with its long arm 42 extending below and forming a seat for the ring 54 and its short arm 40 extending over and along the top of the ring. The free end of the long arm 42 is then bent upwardly as indicated at 56 to prevent withdrawal of the looped wire member.

In the modified form of looped wire member 38 shown in FIG. 9 the long arm 42' is formed with a bend 57 intermediate its ends, which bend is forced through the hole 22' and snaps against the opposite side of the post 20 preventing withdrawal of the looped wire member.

In boxing the packages 10 for storage and/or transportation as shown in FIG. 3 the lower anchoring plates 24 are placed on the flaps 14 closing the bottom of the carton 12 and the teeth 36 of arms 30 pressed into the material of the flaps as shown in FIG. 5. The flaps 14 are then folded over to close the top of the carton pressing the material of the flaps into the teeth 36 on the arms 30 of the top anchor plate member 24. The packages are thus held in fixed position in the carton so that they cannot rub against each other when the carton is in transit. The top lids can easily be lifted olf of the anchoring plate member for easy removal of the packages from the carton.

It will be seen from FIG. 5 that the lamp shades 18 are supported in nested spaced condition.

In FIG. 8, a single package 10 is shown mounted in a carton 12', the top flaps 14' being in open condition. The anchoring plate members 24' (only one being shown) bite into the material of the flaps at both ends of the carton thereby anchoring the package in place so that the lamp shades 18 will not be tossed around inside the carton and will remain intact and protected.

After the carton is opened, the package can be removed easily from the carton. The anchoring plates 24 may be removed from the rods 12 and the package suitably supported in an upright position for display in a store or the like.

The several parts of the rack 16 are inexpensive and may be discarded after use. The racks can be merchandised as kits including one or more rods 20, several anchoring plate members 24 and several looped wire members 38.

The racks described fulfill a long felt need by lamp shade manufacturers, shippers and merchandisers, for packing, shipment, storage and display of piles of lamp shades, safely and efficiently and by inexpensive, expendable means.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A package of lamp shades, comprising in combination a carton having spaced parallel top and bottom flaps, a plurality of spaced, parallel rods vertically disposed in the carton perpendicular to the top and bottom flaps, each rod having a plurality of transverse holes, said holes being spaced apart axially of the rod, a plurality of looped wire members extending through some of the holes in the rods and having end portions extending outwardly of the rods, a plurality of lamp shades in the carton, said lamp shades having conical bodies with centrally located spider rings joined by radial spider arms to said bodies, each spider ring being engaged on one of the rods while the ring rests on one of the looped wire members, and one end of the wires being bent angularly, whereby the lamp shades are supported in axially vertical nested stacks with the bodies of the lamp shades spaced apart, and an anchoring plate fixed to each end of each rod and biting into the material of the flaps so that the rods are held axially vertical in the carton.

2. A package of lamp shades comprising in combination, a carton having spaced parallel top and bottom ends with overlapping flaps, a rod vertically disposed in the carton perpendicular to the top and bottom ends thereof, said rod having a plurality of transverse holes, said holes being spaced apart axially of the rod, a plurality of looped wire members extending through some of the holes in the rod and having end portions extending outwardly of the rod, an anchoring plate embedded in certain flaps at the top end of the carton and anchored thereat, and a plurality of lamp shades in the carton, said lamp shades having conical bodies with centrally located spider rings. joined to said bodies by radial spider arms, each spider ring being engaged on the rod while the ring rests on one of the looped wire members, whereby 4- the lamp shades are supported in axially aligned vertically spaced positions in the carton.

3. A package of lamp shades, comprising a vertical rod, said rod having a plurality of transverse holes, said holes being spaced apart axially of the rod, a plurality of looped wire members extending through certain holes in the rod and having end portions extending outwardly of the rod, a plurality of lamp shades, said lamp shades having conical bodies with centrally located spider rings joined to said bodies by radial spider arms, each spider ring being engaged on the rod while the ring rests on one of the looped wire members, one end of the looped Wire members being angularly bent whereby the lamp shades are supported in a vertical stack in axially aligned, vertically spaced, nested positions, and anchoring plates fixed on the ends of the rod, said plates having projecting teeth for embedding in end flaps of a carton.

4. A package for marketing lamp shades comprising an elongated cylindrical rod with a series of spaced holes thereacross, a plurality of looped wire members having their arms extending through pairs of adjacent holes, lamp shades having spider structures with central rings, said rings removably sleeved around the rod and seated on said looped wire members, means on said looped wire members to prevent withdrawal of the looped wire members through the holes, and anchoring plates on the ends of the rod for securing the package to a carton, said anchoring plates having teeth for embedding in the material of a carton.

5. A package for marketing lamp shades comprising an elongated cylindrical rod With a series of spaced holes thereacross, a plurality of looped wire members having their arms extending through pairs of adjacent holes, lamp shades having spider structures with central rings, said rings removably sleeved around the rod and seated on said looped wire members, means on said looped wire members to prevent Withdrawal of the looped wire members through the holes, and anchoring plates on the ends of the rod for securing the package to a carton, said anchoring plates having teeth for embedding in the material of a carton, said means including bent up ends on the looped wire members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 529,993 Allen Nov. 27, 1894 1,993,692 Suter Mar. 5, 1935 2,181,198 Moskowitz Nov. 28, 1939 2,485,067 Roberts Oct. 18, 1949 2,556,105 Rhett June 5, 1951 2,634,795 Bishop Apr. 14, 1953 2,915,266 Antonucci Dec. 1, 1959 2,980,261 Young Apr. 18, 1961 

1. A PACKAGE OF LAMP SHADES, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A CARTON HAVING SPACED PARALLEL TOP AND BOTTOM FLAPS, A PLURALITY OF SPACED, PARALLEL RODS VERTICALLY DISPOSED IN THE CARTON PERPENDICULAR TO THE TOP AND BOTTOM FLAPS, EACH ROD HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE HOLES, SAID HOLES BEING SPACED APART AXIALLY OF THE ROD, A PLURALITY OF LOOPED WIRE MEMBERS EXTENDING THROUGH SOME OF THE HOLES IN THE RODS AND HAVING END PORTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF THE RODS, A PLURALITY OF LAMP SHADES IN THE CARTON, SAID LAMP SHADES HAVING CONICAL BODIES WITH CENTRALLY LOCATED SPIDER RINGS JOINED BY RADIAL SPIDER ARMS TO SAID BODIES, EACH SPIDER RING BEING ENGAGED ON ONE OF THE RODS WHILE THE RING RESTS ON ONE OF THE LOOPED WIRE MEMBERS, AND ONE END OF THE WIRES BEING BENT ANGULARLY, WHEREBY THE LAMP SHADES ARE SUPPORTED IN AXIALLY VERTICAL NESTED STACKS WITH THE BODIES OF THE LAMP SHADES SPACED APART, AND AN ANCHORING PLATE FIXED TO EACH END OF EACH ROD AND BITING INTO THE MATERIAL OF THE FLAPS SO THAT THE RODS ARE HELD AXIALLY VERTICAL IN THE CARTON. 